Athletes on teams that really want to win have been getting together for informal practices.
Several Houston Texans are working out at Rice University.
Tony Romo has convened Cowboys practices.
Eli Manning is taking snaps and throwing passes to Giants teammates in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Giants quarterbacks Eli Manning and Sage Rosenfels brave the rain to practice the Sailors' Hornpipe.
Why aren't any Seahawks getting together to practice?
Location is not an issue. Many players don't live in Seattle in the offseason, but nothing says the practices have to take place in our emerald Eden by the Sound.
LaDainian Tomlinson and Dirty Sanchez have led Jets workouts in sunny California.
The lack of veteran leadership certainly contributes to the dereliction of voluntarist duty on the part of our players. Seattle's two veteran offensive leaders--Matt Hasselbeck and center Chris Spencer--are both free agents who may not be back.
In Lofa Tatupu, we have a credible defensive leader, but the other teams' informal practices seem to have consisted primarily of quarterbacks throwing to backs and receivers.
A lack of veteran offensive leadership does not necessarily prevent players from holding informal practices. For example, Bengals backup Jordan Palmer has assembled his team's wideouts in California for some workouts.
Charlie Whitehurst could advance his case as a prospective starter by organizing some practices.
Our athletes' inaction has surrendered the initiative to our rivals in the league and in the division.
Last week, in Arizona, All-Pro wideout Larry Fitzgerald led several fellow Cardinals through workouts with Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb, a Phoenix resident who may be auditioning with prospective teammates for a role with his hometown pro franchise.
The future in Arizona?
As long as league owners continue to dawdle, it is up to the players to salvage their team's prospects for the regular season by convening their own practices. Football is a team sport. Unless you're a world-class badass like Walter Jones, you can't get ready to play by working out all alone.
Seahawks players need to come together and make something happen.
A Seahawks Diehard exclusive photo of informal practices held by Seattle players thus far during the lockout.
It raises the question of how much uncertainty is the team really dealing with?
ReplyDeleteHaving not drafted a QB, AND not re-signing #8, AND being a bunch of smart cookies, you've got to think the "brain trust" has got something up their sleeves that hasn't materialized (i.e. a trade waiting for the the labor dispute to settle). But how can any such trade be a "go" with so much labor uncertainty? Do they have a "pretty good deal in mind" or are they going to end up "grasping and desperate" as deadlines end?
I get the feeling that the lack of Seahawk initiative with regard to practice has more to do with the organizational decisions (or lack thereof) than with the lack of player enthusiasm.